Work carrier



March 13, V1934- H. A. FooTHoRAP WORK CARRIER @Hor nc L;

March 13, 1934. H. A, FoorHoRAP WORK CARRIER original Filed March 25, 1927 4 sheets-sheet 2 @ttm n eq March I3, 1934. H,l An FOOTHORAP 1,950,402

WORK CARRIER Original Filed March 25, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 13, 1934. H. A; FooTHoRAP WORK CARRIER Original Filed March 25, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 afro: w11

Fatented Mar. i3, i934 y srA'ras ATENT wenn ommen Harry A. Footliorap, Harrisburg, Pa., assignor to Elliott-Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application March 25, 1927, Serial No. 178,348. Divided and this application March 29, 1930, Serial No. 440,141

9 Claims. (Cl. 197-65) My invention relates to improvements in work carriers for use particularly with recording or typing machines or the like.

The particular object of my invention is to provide for such machines, a Work carrier universally movable for line and column spacing.

Another object is to provide such a work carrier supporting the work at the printing point of a platen and adapted to yield under the impact 13 of recording or typing instrumentalities whereby the work is backed by the platen.

Another object is to provide in combination with such a carrier means for effecting accurate line and column spacing movement thereof and 15 means for automatically returning the carrier to starting position.

Other objects will appear when the nature of my invention develops in the following description and claims and in this connection it is to be 2g noted that the present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 178,348, filed March 25, 1927 to which attention is invited.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a View, partly in side elevation and g5 partly in section, illustrating a portion of a recording machine, with my invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a top plan view,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view,

-Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, and taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in front eleva.- tion, .".5 Figure 6 is a detail view of edge clampsy and a clamp latch with which the work carrier is equipped,

Figure '7 is a similar view illustrating the operation of the clamps and latch, .13 Figure 8 is a view in front elevation illustrating the relation of the work carrier to a platen,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illus# trating structural details of the work carrier,

Figure 10 is a top plan view of a motor driven .1; drum for returning the work carrier to starting position, and

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line' 11-11 of Figure 10.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 desig- 53 nates a base, including a pair of spaced frame bars 2 connected together byfront and rear tie rods 3 and having, at their rear ends vertical brackets 4 and 5 respectively.

The base 1 is designed to support the work ,35 carrier mechanism 6, in a horizontal plane beneath a recording mechanism preferably of the type illustrated conventionally at 7. This particular recording mechanism is disclosed in detail in my co-pending application, supra. It need merelybe stated herein that it is suitably susso pended between the brackets 4 and 5 and includes type carriers 8 provided with type 9 operative to print in a horizontal plane, a bar-like platen 10 mounted in suitable position Vbelow the type carriers 8 as shown at 11, and a ribbon mechanism 65 designated 12. l

The work carrier mechanism includes a series of three horizontally disposed rectangular frames 13, 14, and mounted in superposed relation to surround the platen 10 and position the top frame 7o 15 slightly above the top thereof. The lower frame 13 is stationary, being aixed to the frame bars 2, in right angular relation thereto and has its outside front and rear edges beveled to provide tracks 16 extending in the direction of letter 75 or column spacing.

The second frame 14 ismounted upon the tracks 16 parallel to the frame 13 by grooved rollers 17 whereby it is movable thereon in column spacing direction. This frame 14 has its inside 80 side edges beveled to provide tracks 18 extending in a line spacing direction.

The third or uppermost frame 15' is mounted upon the tracks 18 by grooved rollers 19 whereby it is movable on or relative to the frame 14 85 in a line space direction and with said frame in column spacing direction. A sheet of comparatively thin, light, preferably flexible material for instance rubberized fabric is stretched taut across the frame 15 and suitably fastened thereto, for 90 instance as illustrated in AFigure 9, to provide a diaphragm forming a sheet or work collating support or carrier 20 backed by or depressible against the platen 10. A gauge bar 21 (Fig. 4) is secured along one marginal edge of the frame 95 15 for aligning the marginal edges of work sheets collated on the carrier 20.

Cooperating with the carrier 20 are a series of work clamping flngers 22 (Figs. 2 and 4) mounted upon a rock shaft 23 journaled on the gauge 10o bar 21 to descend in unison upon the edge -of the sheets under the action of suitably disposed springs 24. The rock shaft 23 is provided with a hand lever 25 for releasing said fingers and a spring urged latch 26 for holding the hand 105 lever 25 in released position. The work sheet carrier 20 is normally held in and automatically retracted to a first column first line position as follows. A suitably disposed resilient stop 27 on the frame 13 limits retractile movement of the 110 frame d14 and a suitable stop 28 on the frame 15 engages the frame 14 and retractile movement of the frame 15. A retracting drum 29 mounted at the rear of the base 1, is urged by a motor spring 30 to retract both frames 14 and 15 by means of a cable 31 having its ends connected to the drum 29 and frame 15 respectively andl passed around pulleys 32 on the frame 14.

'Included in the work carrier mechanism 6 is line locating mechanism comprising a line gauge plate 33 fixed to the frame 15 and cooperating with a line stop 34 fixed to the frame 14 to overlie the line gauge plate 33 `as shown in Fig. 5. The line gauge plate 33 is provided with two parallel rows of finger holes 35 spaced apart in each row at intervalscorresponding to double line spacing but staggered so that the holes in both rows'alternate at single line space intervals. The nger holes 35 maybe numbered alternately in sequence as indicated at 36.` To effect line spacing the operator has merely to -place his finger in a selee-ted finger hole 35 and move the frame 15 and work carrier 20 until his ringer abuts and is arrested by the liri stop 34. At this point a spring operated holding dog 37 pivoted upon the frame 14 engages a toothed rack 38 on the frame 15 and holds the latterfrom being returned. Column spacing is manually effected by moving the frame 14 together withthe frame 15 and work carrier 20 on the frame A13. There is also provided column locating means including a series of nger holes 39 provided at column space intervals in the frame 13 into which the operator may insert his finger to act as a stop for the frame 14 as will be clear. The frame 14 carries a'suitably positioned resilientbumper40 for engaging the operators finger. When a selected column position has been reacheda spring operated holding dog 41 pivoted on the frame 14 engages a toothed rack 42 on the frame 13 and holds the frames 14 and 15 and the Work carrier 20 against return.

A release lever 43 is pivoted at asuitable point upon the frame 14 and is operatively connectedl as by links 44 and 45 tothe holding dogs 37C and 41, respectively, to release them simultaneously whereupon the frames 14 and 15 and the work carrier 20 return to starting position yas will be apparent. It will be notedthat the drum 29 constitutes a single motor operative to eiect relative movement of work and printing mechanism both laterally and longitudinally of the work to a predetermined writing position.

It is to be understood that right is reserved herein to such modiiicationsV of the foregoing mechanism as fall fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In recording mechanism, a work carrier, means supporting the carrier for movement in either line or column spacing directions, respectively, separate releasable mechanisms holding the carrier in selected line and column position, respectively, and'means for simultaneously releasing said mechanisms.

2. In recording mechanism, a platen, a work carrier, means supporting the carrier for movement over the platen in either line or column spacing directions, respectively, separate releasable mechanisms holding the carrier in selected line and column' positions, respectively, means for automatically returning the carrier to starting position upon release of the holding mechanisms, and means for simultaneously releasing said mechanisms.

3. In recording mechanism, a work carrier, means supporting'the carrier for movement in either vline or column spacing directions, respectively, and motor mechanism for returning the means supporting the work carrier for movement in line and column spacing directions, respectively, and a motor for moving said carrier in directions opposite to line and column spacing.

7. In recording mechanism, a series of superposed frames relatively movable in angularly related paths, means for retaining a work sheet upon one frame, a motor, and a single operating connection between said frames and motor for imparting such relative movement to the frames.V

,8. In recording mechanism, a series of superposed frames, relatively movable in angularly g related paths, means for` retaining a work sheet upon one frame, a motor, and operating connections between said frames and motor including a cable arranged to impart such relative movenent to the frames. Y

9.`In recording mechanism, a work carrier mechanismincluding a series of open frames connected vtogether in superposed relation for movementyof thetop frame in angularly related paths, and manual manipulating means for the top frame including a plate thereon having finger openingsr therein, and a stop on the adjacent frame overhanging said plate.

f HARRY A. FOOTHORAP. 

